Growing Houseplants From Seed
Grow New Plants and Increase Your Collection!
The only thing better than buying new plants is growing them yourself. Here's a quick guide to growing houseplants from seed
While most houseplants are available as young seedlings or fully grown, they can also be grown from seed. It takes work, but it's also fun and very rewarding! Many popular houseplants can be grown from seeds, including Asparagus Fern (asparagus Densiflorus), Coleus, Weeping Fig (Ficus Benjamina), and Sensitive Plant (Mimosa pudica). Even African Violets can be grown from seed, although it requires a lot of patience.
To be successful, you’ll have to have plenty of space and light. You can purchase seed trays and cups at most garden centers and box stores. Avoid the ones made from peat moss, as they dry out quickly and can be very hard to remoisten once they do. Paper cups and small pots also make good seed starting containers. Make sure to use a soil mix specially formulated for seed starting, and moisten it before use.
Read the information on the seed packets carefully. Some seeds need to be buried in the soil while others just need to be pressed lightly into the top. Some seeds need to be soaked or lightly scored before planting. Once the seeds have been planted, make sure to cover with the plastic dome that came with the tray. (If there is too much condensation on the inside prop one corner open slightly). A sheet of plastic wrap or a clear plastic bag can be used in place of a cover. Place in a warm spot and be sure to keep the soil moist. Light isn’t important until the seeds have germinated.
When the seeds sprout, they’ll have one set of leaves. These leaves won’t look anything like the leaves on a full-grown plant. They are there to provide nourishment to the new seedling, much like the yolk of an egg provides nourishment to the embryo it holds. Once the seedling begins developing mature leaves, these “baby” leaves will shrivel away. When the seedlings have at least one set of mature leaves, it’s time to transplant. Use small pots for this, paper or plastic drinking cups. Styrofoam coffee cups also work nicely. Use a good quality potting soil and don’t forget to poke a few holes into the bottom for drainage. Give your transplants lots of light and air circulation and make sure they don’t dry out.
Once they’ve got their second set of leaves, it’s time for the final stage-transplanting them to their final home. Once they have been moved to a regular pot, water well and feed with a good quality plant food designed for houseplants, and enjoy them!
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